Unintentional Beginning
by IAmNumberOneLOL
Summary: Natsu notices Lucy being weird and he is willing to do just about anything to fix her. He hates the way she is acting and is driven to action. Lucy did something she shouldn't have and now she can barely look Natsu in the eye. She doesn't know if things can ever go back to the way they were.
1. Chapter 1

**Natsu POV**

"Oi, Happy," Natsu lifted his head up from the wooden table, "have you noticed Lucy acting weird lately?"

Happy looked up from the fish he had been about to bite into. He pondered the question seriously, before answering cheerfully.

"Aye, but Lucy's always weird."

Natsu shook his head.

"That's true, but she's been weirder than usual."

Happy put a paw on his chin, thinking.

"How?" he asked, his tone shifting from upbeat to thoughtful.

Natsu shrugged.

"She doesn't have time for jobs anymore, she doesn't eat with us anymore, she started locking her window, and she doesn't have time to hang out with us," he listed off.

Happy hummed.

"Maybe she's avoiding us?"

Natsu blinked.

"Why?" He seemed slightly bewildered, the thought never occurring to him.

The little blue cat shrugged, mimicking his best friends earlier movement.

"I don't know. Maybe she's constipated and she doesn't want us to know."

Natsu frowned, crossing his arms over his chest.

It really was strange. Maybe his blonde partner was really avoiding them. The thought itself brought a wave of irritation and a flash of hurt. As he thought back on the past week, memories of Lucy making excuses to leave the room whenever he entered and Lucy saying she didn't have time to go on a job drifted into his thoughts. The more he thought about it, the more it got on his nerves. Natsu's chest ached with an unfamiliar longing. He missed the celestial wizard.

Not that missing her made him any less pissed.

A familiar sweet scent made Natsu sit up straight, his irritation moving to the back of his mind, and a grin stretched across his face.

He turned to the guild doors, waving wildly.

"Yo, Lucy!" he shouted from across the guild.

Happy quickly swallowed a mouthful of fish.

"Hi, Lucy," he called, almost as enthusiastically as his best friend.

The blonde glanced over at them, a tiny smile appearing on her lips. But for the most part, she barely looked at them. She didn't look too happy to see them, more like she had hoped they weren't there. At least she waved, slightly, before heading over to the bar.

Natsu's smile dropped off his face, a frustrated frown working its way onto his face.

"See, Happy? Normally she would come over and talk to us. Maybe you're right about her avoiding us," a growl worked its way out of his chest.

The little blue cat remained silent, opting instead to watch his best friend. The dragon-slayer sat slouched with his arms crossed, his eyebrows furrowed, and his sharp eyes narrowed. He looked like a child pouting after he didn't get what he wanted for his birthday.

Natsu huffed. His onyx eyes stayed glued to the celestial wizards back. She was talking to Levy, Juvia, and Mirajane. She didn't give him or Happy anymore attention.

Feeling his earlier irritation returning, and possibly loneliness, Natsu stood up. He started to make his way towards the blonde. Without a word, Happy followed, all of his fish gone.

Natsu was so absorbed in his mission to get to Lucy that he didn't notice the person in front of him until he bumped into them.

"Oi, watch it, Flame Brain!"

"You watch it, Ice Princess!" Natsu snapped back immediately, a conditioned response.

Gray scowled.

"You wanna go, Match Sticks?"

Natsu opened his mouth, a fiery retort on the tip of his tongue, before he shook his to clear his head. He was on a mission.

"Not right now, Stripper," he said distractedly, his eyes already drifting back to Lucy.

Gray blinked, surprised.

He watched Natsu head off for the bar. As Happy floated pass, he spoke up.

"What's up with him?"

The little blue cat continued to fly after Natsu.

"He's gonna talk to Lucy," was all he said.

Natsu weaved through the crowd of the guild. When he was twenty feet away from the bar, his sensitive ears picked out Lucy's voice from all the usual noise.

"-een any jobs I can go on by myself? I'm a little low on rent this month."

When Natsu heard that, he felt his irritation rise.

"Why don't you go on one with Natsu and Happy? Lately, it's like you you've been avoiding them, Lu-chan."

And when Levy voiced Natsu's thoughts, his irritation jumped to a whole new level.

He stopped behind Lucy and watched as she tensed up. She knew he was there. She probably knew it was him because she felt his body heat, which was rolling off him in waves.

"Good morning, Natsu," Mirajane greeted with a gentle smile.

Natsu didn't even hear her. His attention was solely fixed on the celestial wizard.

"Oi. Lucy," Natsu grounded out.

The blonde slowly turned in her seat, a nervous expression spreading across her face.

Natsu looked down at her, a scowl etched onto his face. Happy flew past him, landing on the bar counter.

"Are you constipated?"

Silence.

Lucy's face went from nervous to shocked. Whatever she thought he was going to say, that certainly wasn't it.

"Wha-constipated?!" She squeaked.

Her face flushed and her scowl rivaled Natsu's.

"No! Why would you even ask that?!" she shouted.

Natsu growled.

"Then why have you been avoiding me and Happy? Did we do something to you?"

Lucy went rigid, her blush leaving as fast as it came, and she went pale. Her brown eyes slid off of Natsu and went off to the side.

"No, you didn't do anything to me," she mumbled.

Her hands went to the edge of her skirt, which stopped about mid-thigh, where they nervously played with the fabric.

Natsu's keen eyes took in the movement and he took a moment to study the celestial wizard.

She was drawn in on herself, her back hunched and her eyes not on him.

Without thinking, Natsu reached out and grabbed Lucy by the chin. He forced her to face him. He didn't say anything, just studied her. Her cheeks went bright red and she squeezed her eyes shut tightly before their gazes met. A growl started to build up in Natsu's chest. He let go of the flustered blonde.

"How much?" He asked, just barely keeping his tone empty of his anger.

Lucy blinked.

"What?"

Natsu snorted.

"How much rent money do you need?"

Lucy's eyes widen before they quickly narrowed.

"Natsu, I don't need you to-" she didn't get to finish.

The dragon-slayer spun on his heel and marched towards the request board.

Lucy went silent, her eyebrows beginning to furrow, both in agitation and nerves.

"Lu-chan, it's a good opportunity to make up," Levy said encouragingly.

"Lucy-san, Natsu-san appears upset," Juvia commented, her own eyebrows furrowed in worry.

Lucy sighed.

"He just misses Lucy," Happy spoke up from the counter.

Three pairs of eyes turned to him. He munched on the fish he had pulled out of his green pack, looking back at them innocently.

"Mirajane."

The trio of girls jumped in surprise as Natsu's voice came from behind them.

"Me, Lucy, and Happy'll go on this job."

He reached past Lucy to hand a piece of paper to the white-haired bar tender.

Mirajane studied the paper and smiled.

"Have a safe trip," she said.

Natsu grabbed Lucy's wrist before she could react and dragged her to the guild doors.

"N-Natsu, wait! I can do this on my own!" Lucy stuttered. Even though she said that, she didn't try to pull away. And since she didn't, Natsu continued to drag her.

"Natsu!" Was the final protest the guild members heard before the guild doors shut behind the pair.

The guild was quiet, for a change, each member trying to guess what just happened.

Happy sighed.

"He could have at least waited until I finished eating my fish."

...

 **Lucy POV**

"Get packed and ready to go," Natsu ordered as he stopped in front of her apartment.

Lucy frowned.

"Natsu," she hissed, "I told you I can do a job by myself."

Natsu didn't respond, just put his hands on his hips. His onyx eyes smoldered as he stared into Lucy's, and she had to look away. His gaze was too intense.

A sigh worked its way out of her lips and she gave up. Natsu wasn't going to give. Besides, she felt a little guilty.

"Fine," she said, defeated.

The dragon-slayer nodded, satisfied the celestial wizard had caved.

"When you're done, wait in front of your apartment," he said. "I'll be back soon."

With that, he headed off.

Lucy watched his back as he left. When he disappeared into the distance, she headed into her apartment.

She opened her door and entered her room. As she walked to her dresser, her thoughts began to swirl.

It wasn't Natsu's fault that she had been avoiding him. Really. It was her fault. If she hadn't had done what she did a week ago, she wouldn't be in this mess. Just remembering made her face burn.

"I can do this," she muttered to herself. "I can do this."

She started to softly chant as she packed a bag.

Once she finished, she went and waited outside like Natsu told her too.

Not really thinking, Lucy lightly held her gate keys. She was slowly turning into a bundle of nerves. She hoped that Natsu would hurry up. Just thinking about spending time with the dragon-slayer made her heart beat faster. A bad feeling settled over the celestial wizard. She was definitely going to run into some trouble on the trip. With the way she was and the way Natsu was acting, the whole trip would most likely be a disaster.

"I wish I hadn't have done that," Lucy mumbled, chewing on her bottom lip.

"Done what?"

Lucy let out a small scream. Happy flinched.

"Woah, Lucy, you scared me!" He shouted.

Lucy scowled, flailing her arms.

"I scared you?! You nearly gave me a heart attack, stupid cat!"

She grasped at her chest.

Happy just shrugged.

"So, what do you wish you didn't do?"

Lucy's breath froze in her lungs and it felt like time stopped. Immediately, her face went bright red.

"Nothing! I-It's nothing!" she stuttered.

Happy looked at her dubiously.

"Really?"

Lucy turned away from the little blue cats prying eyes. He was surprisingly observant sometimes.

"Lucy, Happy!"

Both of their gazes went to the fast approaching form of Natsu. He had a bag slung over his shoulder and a smaller bag in his hand.

He stopped once he was in front of them. His eyes first gazed at Lucy for a long moment, before looking at Happy with a warm expression.

"Hey, little buddy," Natsu smiled.

He held out the bag in his hand.

"I brought you some fish."

Happy's eyes widened and teared up a little.

"Natsu!"

He flung himself at the dragon-slayer, hugging his best friend for about two seconds before pouncing on the bag of fish.

Lucy nearly rolled her eyes at the blue cats actions, but her gaze was drawn back to the pink haired wizard. He stood staring at her, his brows furrowed and his lips drawn into a tight line. She quickly looked away from him, feeling both guilty and nervous.

"What's the job?" She asked, looking at the canal water.

Natsu pulled out a piece of paper from his bag and held it out to her. The celestial wizard hesitantly reached out and took the request form.

When she saw the job, she put a hand to her chin.

"Protect a little girl from kidnappers? It says her parents received a threatening letter regarding their daughter, ordering the family to not attend a peace summit."

Lucy caught sight of the reward and her eyes nearly bulged out of her head.

"80,000 jewels?! I said I was a 'little' short on rent!" she exclaimed.

Natsu crossed his arms and huffed.

"You wouldn't tell me how much you needed," he sulked.

Lucy stared at him, her shock slowly melting away as she took in the dragon slayers expression. He was pouting. Like a child. Lucy couldn't help the giggle that burst from her lips.

Natsu blinked and looked at her with a scowl.

"What's so funny?" he barked.

Lucy shook her head at the disgruntled dragon slayer.

"Nothing. Let's go, Natsu," she said.

She started walking in the direction of the train station, feeling as though maybe the trip might not be as bad as she thought.

 **Alrighty then. Hello, hello readers of my fanfiction. I feel like I should always say something at the end of my fanfiction, even though I tend to ignore these types of things when I read fanfictions on my own. I know, I know. What a hypocrit. But fear not, readers! Most everyone is. Anyway, please review after reading, whether good or bad. Honest opinions are my sustenance. You wouldn't want me to starve, would you?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Natsu POV**

"I'm dying," Natsu gasped.

Bile rose in his throat and he gagged. His cheeks bulged as he fought down the contents of his stomach.

"You're not going to die, Natsu," Lucy sighed.

Natsu struggled to look at her from his spot across from her. His vision was blurry, but he could just barely make out her form.

"I am," he mumbled.

His stomach rolled and he doubled over, swallowing hard.

"Natsu," Lucy sighed again, "come here."

She patted the seat next to her. Natsu weakly glared at her. How did she expect him to make it there without blowing chunks? His glare sizzled out when he made out her expression through his foggy vision.

Though her words had been exasperated, her expression was very gentle, warmth and sympathy radiating from her delicate features. Natsu's breath faltered and his stomach settled for just a moment. Determination flashed through the dragon slayer. He unsteadily got to his feet and quickly flopped into the empty space next to the celestial wizard.

"That was impressive, Natsu," Happy said from the seat across from the pair.

"That's the first time I've seen you move while on transportation."

Natsu grimaced, hearing the teasing tone in his best friends voice.

"Shut up, Ha-" Natsu snapped his mouth shut, feeling as though he was about to throw up.

"Stop it, both of you," Lucy ordered, her voice stern.

Natsu groaned. He wanted to complain about how Happy started it, but he knew that if he opened his mouth then, he would have barfed.

"Here," Lucy said after a moment of silence, "Natsu, lay down."

Natsu felt her hand on his head, guiding him down. He didn't try to resist nor did he feel any compulsion to. He completely trusted her.

His head landed on something squishy and comfortable. A breath through his nose told him it was Lucy. Surprise had him prying his eyes open. He was using her lap as a pillow.

"Wha-?" He attempted to ask, his voice pathetically weak.

"Shhh," Lucy quietly put her hand on top of his head, "just take a nap. The train ride will be over soon."

Before he fully absorbed what she had said, his eyes already drifted closed. Her body warmth and gentle fingers threading through his hair made him completely relaxed. He was asleep in a matter of seconds.

...

 **Lucy POV**

The teasing look from Happy nearly made her shove Natsu out of her lap.

Nearly.

With a bright red face, she continued to run her fingers through the dragon slayers pink hair. She stared out the window, deliberately avoiding Happy's gaze.

"Hey, Lucy," Happy spoke up, his tone drawing Lucy's attention away from the window, "why are you avoiding us?"

The blue cat stared into her eyes.

Lucy had to look away. The cats gaze was penetrating and oddly perceptive. She felt like he would know everything if she said a single word. Natsu stirred in her lap, bringing her attention to the pink haired boy.

He looked peaceful, a rare sight when he was on transportation. For that matter, even when he wasn't on transportation. His face twitched and he mumbled incoherently.

Warmth spread throughout Lucy's chest.

Without noticing, Lucy's expression melted into something soft and clearly loving.

She pushed her hand through the Dragon-Slayers hair, smiling when Natsu snuggled into her. Lucy forgot about Happy's presence, which was good, otherwise she would have been embarrassed to death.

Happy watched the scene with knowing eyes. He already knew how Lucy felt about Natsu and vis versa. The cat was not as dim as the others thought.

It wasn't long after that that the train stopped at their destination.

Lucy looked away from her book, blinking wearily. Her gaze dropped down to her dozing teammate.

"Natsu," she said, shaking his shoulder, "we're here. Get up."

Natsu's eyebrows scrunched up and his nose wrinkled.

"Five more minutes, Luce," he muttered, burrowing his face into her stomach.

Lucy sighed, a light blush spread across her face.

"We can't wait five more minutes. We are at the train station. Get up!" She said more sternly.

Natsu breathed in deep, clearly ignoring her.

"You smell good."

Instantly, Lucy's face turned bright red. She shoved the Dragon-Slayer off her lap, promptly dumping him onto the floor of the train car.

"Natsu Dragneel! If you don't want to be stuck on this train by yourself, you better get up and stop sniffing me!"

Natsu groaned as he sat up, a pout on his face.

"Come on, Lucy," he whined, "I was having a really good nap."

Lucy crossed her arms. Her face was still really warm.

The train whistle blew for a five minute warning.

Natsu perked up, excitement entering his expression.

"We're here!"

He leapt up, a grin overtaking his face, and took Lucy's hand. Lucy flinched, her cooling face heating right back up. He dragged her to the exit.

Happy was waiting at the door with a small smirk.

"About time, slowpokes," he sang.

Natsu laughed and grunted at the same time, creating an odd noise.

"You were gonna leave me on that train and let me barf my brains out!" He accused.

Happy put a paw over his mouth, hiding a smirk.

"If you had any brains to barf out," he giggled.

"Why you-!"

Natsu made to grab the flying cat, but Lucy cleared her throat, effectively freezing the Dragon-Slayer in place.

"We are going to be late," she said, her voice laced with irritation.

Natsu crossed his arms, looking away.

"He started it," he muttered.

Lucy glared at him before pulling the job request to check the address of the clients. She glanced around the street. An old man was tending a bakery. He seemed like the right man. Lucy walked across the street and stopped in front of his shop. She was aware that Natsu and Happy trailed after her quietly. Probably the first and last time she would get some peace and quiet this whole quest.

Lucy opened the shop door.

"Excuse me," she called, "do you know how to get to the McDoogle's residence?"

The old man looked up from where he was decorating a cake with delicate frosted flowers. He paused, thinking.

"Ah, yes," he said, putting down the piping bag, "do you have business with the McDoogle's?"

Lucy smiled. She stepped into the shop, sternly looking back at Natsu and Happy and held up her hand, the universal sign for 'stay'. The boys pouted, but stayed put. The door closed behind her.

"Yes," she flipped the request over onto its blank back, "would you mind writing the directions down for me?"

The old man returned her smile and held out his hand for the paper.

"I wouldn't mind at all, young lady."

He took it from her and went back to the counter so that he could write.

Lucy waited patiently, admiring the collection of baked goods that sat behind the counter.

 _'Maybe I'll be able to buy a cake for Erza later,_ ' she thought idly.

' _If Natsu doesn't go overboard this time.'_

She snuck a glance over her shoulder and saw Natsu and Happy talking right outside the door. She fought the urge to sigh at the sight of the pair beginning to argue. Knowing those two, it was probably about the fish in Happy's bag.

"Excuse me," the old man said.

Lucy quickly turned back to baker, a polite smile already on her lips. She took the extended piece of paper.

"Thank you," she said.

As she made her way back to the door, the old man called out to her.

"Wait, miss!"

Lucy looked over her shoulder, her hand reaching out to the door knob.

"Yes?"

"Would you and your boyfriend like to buy some cake?"

Lucy froze, solid like a statue, her face going bright red.

"He isn't m-my b-boyfriend!" she squeaked.

The old man looked at her, puzzled.

"Really? You sure looked like you were a couple, with how you were looking at him."

Lucy's hands flew to her face, eyes fluttering rapidly.

Had she been looking at him weird?!

Panic raced through her, making her heart pound.

"Ha ha! No, we a-aren't a couple, mister," she objected awkwardly.

The old man nodded slowly.

"Alright, if you say so. You still want some cake?"

Lucy offered the man a weak smile and shook her head before hurriedly making her escape. His comment echoes in her head. She couldn't have been so obvious, could she? She pushed open the door and kept her eyes on the ground. She couldn't look at Natsu now. She just couldn't.

"Hey, Luce, did you get any cake? I'm starving!"

Lucy quickly brushed past the complaining dragon-slayer, heading in the direction of the McDoogles house. Her face was so warm, it was as if Natsu had set it one fire. Again. That particular memory shook her out of her embarrassed march momentarily.

"Lucy."

Natsu's voice came from right behind the celestial wizard, making her jump nearly to the moon. Her stomach rolled with nerves and she kept her eyes on the ground. She felt so self-conscious it hurt.

"Come on," she forced out, "we've got a quest to fulfill."

With those words spoken, Lucy continued her silent march toward the McDoogle house.

...

 **Natsu POV**

The scowl on Natsu's face appeared to be set in marble. It had been plastered on since half an hour ago, when Lucy had stopped talking to him. Even though his face muscles ached, he couldn't stop.

"Your face is gonna get stuck like that," Happy commented from on top of his head.

"No it isn't," Natsu growled back immediately, never taking his eyes off of Lucy.

Happy shook his head.

"Yeah it is. Everyone says that if you make an ugly face for a long time, it gets stuck like that as karma. Then you look ugly forever."

Natsu's scowl deepened.

He studied the celestial wizard, who was walking in front of him. She was acting weird again. She had been fine after they got off the train. Then after she walked out of that cake shop, she had gone back to avoiding him.

 _'Me and Happy_ ,' Natsu amended grumpily.

It was even worse than before because now he knew she was avoiding them. But why?! What did he do? Did she see him and Happy have tug-of-war over Happy's fish and avoid them because she was angry? She _had_ looked really red after walking out of the cake shop.

Natsu quickened his pace until he was walking beside the celestial wizard.

"Sorry," he muttered.

Lucy's head jerked up and she looked at him. But only for a second. Her eyes quickly went back to the ground.

"What?"

"Sorry," he huffed, annoyed at having to repeat himself.

Her eyes flicked to him. She looked really confused.

"Why are you sorry?"

Natsu grimaced in irritation.

"For fighting with Happy. Isn't that why you're angry with us?"

Lucy's head whipped up and she stared at him, open mouthed.

"I am not angry with you!"

Natsu's eyebrows furrowed.

"If you're not angry," he said slowly, puzzled, "why are you avoiding us again?"

Lucy stopped. She suddenly looked both guilty and ashamed. But there was something else in her expression that Natsu couldn't identify. Her eyes went back to the ground.

"I'm not avoiding you," she sighed, "I'm just..."

She didn't continue.

"Sick," Happy finished for her.

Lucy looked up at Happy. Since Natsu couldn't look at Happy as well -the cat was on top of the dragon-slayers head- he contented himself with watching Lucy's reaction. Her complicated expression had melted and all that was left was a blank slate. There was a long pause of silence while Lucy and Happy had what Natsu assumed was a staring contest. Then Lucy blinked and nodded slowly.

"Yes. Sick."

She sounded robotic.

She began walking again.

"Sorry, Natsu. Happy," she murmured.

Natsu pursed his lips, but didn't say anything. He had a feeling that even if he did, Lucy wouldn't continue to talk.


	3. Chapter 3

**Lucy POV**

After half an hour of awkward silence, it was finally broken by Natsu's gurgling stomach.

"Do you think they'll give us dinner?"

At the sound of Natsu's question, Lucy snapped out of her daze and dragged her eyes up from the ground. Her gaze landed on a ridiculously huge mansion that reminded her much of her own old home. A gigantic waste of unused space for a family of three. The house was picturesque, with its pristine walls and neatly manicured garden. Lucy could practically see the mansion bleeding money.

"I hope so," Happy said, "because I ate my last fish forever ago."

Lucy rolled her eyes.

"They'll serve us dinner after we go over the quest," she said with certainty.

 _At least_ , she thought, _that's what my dad did after he completed business at home_.

She led the way to the gigantic front doors without another word. The silence began gathering tension once again. From where she was standing, Lucy could feel heat coming off of her best friend.

 _I'm going to have to talk to him about this soon_ , she realized. She knew they couldn't go on like this, but the mere thought of having to say what she had done out loud terrified her. It felt like if she said it out loud, it would be true. And if it was true, it was definitely a game changer.

Lucy had barely stopped at the front doors when the the door on the right opened and a tall man with a beaked nose croaked out "Fairy Tail wizards, I presume?"

Lucy blinked up at the man. He was wearing a butlers uniform, but he was looking at them as if he was the master of the house.

"That's us," Natsu answered for her.

Natsu's blunt reply made Lucy wince slightly, but she kept her mouth shut.

She was used to dealing with the people of the rich world and Natsu wasn't. She had been so wrapped up in herself that she had forgotten to tell Natsu that he should let her do the talking, for both of their sakes.

The pretentious butler clicked his heels together and stood to the side to let the wizards into the mansion.

Lucy stepped over the threshold and was transported back to her childhood the moment her foot landed on the polished marble floor. Subconsciously, her back straightened and her hands folded themselves delicately in front of her, as she had been taught as a young girl.

"Right this way," the butler all but ordered.

Lucy followed behind, keeping her eyes straight ahead. She knew without looking that Natsu and Happy were gawking at their surroundings, probably with wide eyes and open mouths.

It really shouldn't have been all that exciting since they had seen Duke Everlue's narcissistic, lavish mansion. Though, Lucy had to admit, while the dukes house was a shrine to himself filled with expensive baubles, the McDoogles house was furnished stylishly and warmly, feeling exactly like a rich, comfortable, family home.

"Do you see that chair? It's shaped like a fish! And that painting has fish in it!" Happy exclaimed excitedly.

Lucy could hear him slurp drool back into his mouth.

"What are you talking about, Happy? That chair doesn't look like a fish," Natsu refuted.

"It looks like a dragon!"

Lucy resisted the urge to hit her own forehead.

The butler led them to a large parlor, warmly lit with a fire going in the fireplace and a feeling of a happy family. Before Natsu could head for the fireplace, Lucy glared at him.

"Do NOT eat the fire, Natsu," she growled.

Natsu pouted. "But _Luuuuucy_ ," he whined, "I'm _huuuuuungry_!"

"Wait here while I fetch the Master and Madam," the butler said, ignoring the dragon-slayers childish behavior.

He promptly left the room.

Lucy glared once more at Natsu before walking over to the red couch and taking a seat. Natsu huffed but followed suit, sitting next to her.

Lucy watched the dragon-slayer out of the corner of her eye as he leaned back into the couch. He wasn't looking at her. Rather it kind of looked like he was trying to NOT look at her. Not that Lucy couldn't understand. She had been a jerk to him lately. There was no other way to say it.

 _I will tell him tonight_ , she thought determinedly.

 _Well... tomorrow_.

Happy lazily flew over to Lucy and landed in her lap. Lucy jumped in surprise. The blue cat situated himself on her lap until he was comfortable. He let out a content little sigh.

"Are you tired?" Lucy asked, feeling slightly concerned.

Happy nodded and offered her a sleepy grin.

"Aye, sir," he twittered his famous response.

Lucy gently placed her hand on top of Happy's head, moving her hand in small, soothing circles. Much like she had done earlier that day for Natsu.

"Welcome, Fairy Tail wizards."

Lucy jerked her head up at the sound of a man's deep voice. Standing in the doorway was a man wearing an expensive suit and on his arm clung a beautiful woman dressed in an elegant gown. It was apparent from the way they were standing that they were, at the very least, lovers. But judging from the house Lucy, Natsu, and Happy were in, the celestial wizard would guess that the pair were the McDoogles.

Lucy stood up, forgetting that Happy had been resting in her lap. The poor blue cat was unceremoniously dumped onto the ornate rug.

"Luuuucy," Happy complained.

"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. McDoogle," Lucy bowed slightly, ignoring the cats whine, "thank you for having us in your home. My name is Lucy Heartfelia and my companions are Natsu Dragneel and Happy."

Lucy threw a glare over her shoulder at Natsu, who was still haphazardly sitting on the couch. The dragon-slayer immediately sat up, his face going pale.

"Yo, McDoggies," he greeted quickly.

Lucy fought the urge to strangle her partner.

She looked up at the McDoogles, her facial expression showing her shame.

"I apologize for the behavior of my teammate," Lucy began, but the man raised his hand, a kind smile on his face.

"It's quite alright," he said.

He gestured to the couch.

"Please, sit," he said.

Lucy sat as instructed, glancing at Natsu as she did.

She hoped he wouldn't do anything dumb.

...

 **Natsu POV**

Natsu seriously felt like he was going to starve to death. He couldn't understand how the rest of the group couldn't hear his stomach growl as it tried to devour itself. They just kept talking and talking and talking.

"So, your request said that you received a threat concerning your daughter?" Lucy asked.

The man nodded, looking worried. The woman sitting next to him placed her hand on top of his. He smiled at her before replying.

"Yes. My wife and I are going to talk at a peace summit this weekend. We received this threat," he pulled out a piece of paper from inside his suit jacket, "a few days ago." He handed the letter to Lucy.

She looked over the content of the paper as the man continued.

"My wife and I must attend this peace summit. If we do not go, then a war may break out between our city and our neighbors."

The woman sat forward in her seat, her face screwed up in desperation.

"Please keep our daughter safe. You're Fairy Tail wizards, right? You are the strongest guild there is, aren't you?"

The man laid a hand on his wife's shoulder.

Lucy looked up from the letter, her eyes ablaze with determination.

"We'll keep your daughter safe while you go to that peace summit."

Natsu stared at the blond celestial wizard, his heart beginning to pound. That look in her eyes really made him want to... Want to what?

Natsu frowned in confusion.

 _What do I want to do?_

The man and woman drooped in relief after hearing Lucy's proclamation.

"Thank you," the man sighed.

Natsu grinned.

"We are Fairy Tail wizards! We will finish our quest to the end!"

Happy smirked at Natsu from his spot on the couch.

"That doesn't make any sense, Natsu," he said, snickering into his paw.

Lucy lightly hit Natsu's arm before he could fire back a retort. Natsu closed his mouth obediently, although he definitely did not obey happily.

Lucy turned her attention to the McDoogles.

"Excuse me," she began, "but would you mind serving us dinner? We haven't eaten anything since this morning."

The man and woman blinked, but smiled graciously.

"Why, of course!" the woman exclaimed.

She clapped.

"Jenkins! Tell the cooks to prepare extra food for our guests. Also, prepare the guest rooms and tell the maids to set two places at the dinner table."

"Three," Lucy said before Natsu or Happy could say anything.

The woman paused, giving Lucy a quizzical glance.

"Happy is part of our team," she explained, "he will eat with us."

She left no room for argument. Natsu didn't even try to hide his wide grin.

The woman slowly nodded.

"Make that three places at the table."

Mrs. McDoogle glared over her shoulder.

"Make it snappy, Jenkins, we do not have all day."

Natsu followed her eyes to the door to the parlor. Standing in the shadows was the jerk from earlier. He looked at Mrs. McDoogle with a gleam in his eye. He bowed.

"Right away," he answered, clicking his heels together before he faded into the shadows.

"That jerk is kinda creepy," Natsu muttered.

Mr. McDoogle laughed. "Jenkins? He wouldn't hurt a fly. He's been in our service for years. Anyway," he fixed his attention on the group of Fairy Tail wizards, "about the payment."

"Don't worry about that right now," Natsu waved his hand.

The man and woman both blinked in surprise at Natsu's brash order.

"Give us the money after you get back from the peace crumpet or whatever."

"Summit," Lucy corrected.

The couple stared at one another for a minute, then they turned to Natsu with bright smiles adorning their faces.

"We'll do just that then," Mr. McDoogle said.

Natsu didn't really understand why the McDoogles were looking at him with weird smiles on their faces, but if they were happy, he didn't really mind.

"Will there be any fish for dinner?" Happy piped up from the couch.

Mrs. McDoogle pursed her lips as she stood up, her husband following suit.

"I am not sure. But I'll go arrange it for you," she said and she breezed out of the room.

Mr. McDoogle studied the trio.

"Would you like to meet my daughter before dinner is ready?"

Lucy nodded, her eyes bright and her smile warm.

"We would love to."

Mr. McDoogle led the trio out of the parlor and up the grand stairs to the second floor. From there, he ushered them to the far end of the hallway to the last door on the left. The door was painted light pink and a sign rested on the door. The sign said ' _Fiona's Room_ '.

Mr. McDoogle raised his hand and rapped his knuckles against the wood.

"Fiona, darling, there are some people who want to meet you out here."

Natsu heard little feet thudding softly against carpet heading towards the door. The door swung open and produced a small girl around the age of eight. She was about the size of Asuka, which made her short for her age, and made her look younger. She had bright orange hair and a smattering of freckles across her nose. She stared up at them with wide blue eyes.

"Who are these people, Daddy?" She asked as she grabbed onto his pants leg.

Mr. McDoogle put his hand on top of his daughters head, a gentle smile directed at his child.

"These are the Fairy Tail wizards Mama and Daddy were telling you about. They're here to keep you safe."

Fiona eyes sparkled and she let go of her fathers pants.

"Wizards?" She squeaked in delight.

Natsu knelt down, a grin already stretching across his face.

"Yup. You wanna see some magic?"

Fiona nodded so hard, it looked like her head might fly off her shoulders. Natsu held out his hand. He waited until the little girl was fidgeting in impatience, then he set the tips of his fingers on fire. Fiona gasped, her tiny hands going to her mouth. Her eyes glowed with wonder.

"Pretty," she said.

Natsu laughed.

"Isn't it?"

Natsu extinguished his flames. He met the girls adoring gaze.

"My name's Natsu. What yours?"

"Fi-yo-na," she sounded out in singsong.

Natsu put out his hand for a handshake.

"Nice to meet ya, Fiona."

Fiona quickly grabbed his outstretched hand and gave his hand a squeeze. Her hand was so tiny in his grasp, it felt like he was handling a doll.

"Nice to meet you, Natsu."

Natsu pointed over his shoulder, where Lucy was standing quietly.

"That's Lucy. She a nice person, even if she's weird," he stage whispered.

"Who're you calling weird?" Lucy grunted as she gave him a light smack on top of his head.

Fiona gazed up at Lucy, curious.

"Does she have fire magic too?" She stage whispered back.

"No," Lucy answered instead, "I'm a celestial wizard. I have magic keys."

Fiona tilted her head.

"That doesn't sound as cool as fire magic," she stated bluntly.

Mr. McDoogle tutted. "Now, Fiona, don't be rude."

"Celestial wizards are pretty cool," Natsu informed Fiona.

Happy glided down from Lucy's shoulder.

"I don't know. Lucy can be pretty lame."

"What'd you say, cat?" Lucy growled threateningly.

"A talking kitty!" Fiona shouted, completely overshadowing Lucy's menacing aura.

She threw her arms around Happy.

"Mmmf!" Poor Happy was squished against the little girl, her embrace strangling.

"Dinner is served."

Everyone jumped at the sudden voice. Natsu stood up and looked down the hall. The rude butler guy was standing at the top of the stairs, shrouded in shadows.

"Ah, Jenkins," Mr. McDoogle blew out a breath, slightly flustered from being startled, "we'll be right down. Thank you."

Jenkins stayed still for a long, silent moment before he glided down the steps. Natsu stared at where the butler had been. There was something weird with that guy. The dragon-slayer just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Well, let's go," Mr. McDoogle said as he scooped up his daughter.

Natsu and Happy glanced at each other with matching sparkling expressions.

"FOOD!"

 **I am sorry for the delay. For any of those who were seriously waiting for this, it must have felt like ten million years. I really am sorry. Feel free to nag and berate me. It would honestly, probably, motivate me to hurry my ass up with posts. Also, I am very sorry for all those mistakes in my last posts. It was a mess. Awful. Anyway, thank you for your patience, and I hope ya'll enjoy. Pieces, as Natsu would say. And peace, as Lucy would correct.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Lucy POV**

As soon as she and the boys sat down at the table, Lucy gave them her sharpest glare.

"You _will_ eat like civilized people."

Her tone left no room for argument. Except her boys weren't the best at not arguing.

"But I'm not a person, Lucy," Happy said rather impudently. He smirked and looked off to the side.

"Dummy."

Lucy refrained from gritting her teeth, as that usually wound up giving her a headache and no reprieve from her fury. Instead, she composed her face into a smile.

"Alright, cat," she said, "you will eat like a civilized feline and you-" she turned to Natsu before he could add anything.

"Will use silverware like a civilized dragon-slayer."

Both the blue cat and the pink haired dragon-slayer quaked in their chairs.

"A-Aye sir!" They both stammered frightfully.

Unbeknownst to Lucy, her face was twitching and a dark aura had surrounded her, effectively scaring the life out of the pair.

Lucy returned her attention to their hosts, beginning to feel a little embarrassed by her actions. Mrs. McDoogle had a faint smile, though it was more of a sweet pokerface rather than amusement, while her husband's eyebrow rose up a fraction of an inch. Fiona was staring at Lucy with wide eyes.

"Ahem," Lucy softly coughed into her fist and avoided eye contact with any of the McDoogles.

The whole dinning room was awkwardly silent for a moment. Then Fiona said,

"She's scary."

Lucy's face flushed in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," she murmured.

Mr. McDoogle cleared his throat before attempting to make conversation.

"So, you are Fairy Tail wizards. Have any stories about life as members of the most powerful guild in all of Fiore?"

Mrs. McDoogle laughed a little.

"Darling, don't pester our guests. You sound like one of those reporters who always buzz around us."

The awkwardness was melting away with the help of the interaction between the husband and wife.

Lucy waved her hand.

"It's fine, Mrs. McDoogle. We'd be happy to describe one of our adventures to you three."

She paused, trying to decide on just one of Team Natsu's adventures.

Natsu decided for her.

"The first quest Lucy, me, and Happy did was get a book for Kabi Melon from this Duke Everlue guy."

Fiona blinked her wide eyes and tilted her head at the dragon-slayer.

"That doesn't sound very exciting," she said.

Natsu snorted and picked up his fork, spinning it idly in his hand for a moment.

"It wasn't really exciting at first. We and Lucy had just become a team and we were learning that Lucy was a weirdo. She made us sneak into the mansion in stead of taking it by storm like me and Happy usually do. We found the book and then Everlue found us and then we had to fight. Of course, I won. And Lucy found out the book wasn't really a story, but a letter to the author guys son. She's smart like that."

Natsu threw a smile at Lucy before stabbing the fish on his plate and shoving it into his mouth.

Lucy's cheeks went slightly pink.

"He isn't the best at retelling stories," she said by way of an apology.

Mr. McDoogle shook his head, a soft smile on his face.

"It's quite alright. My brother is the same way."

Lucy grabbed her fork, warily eyeing her boys.

"Your brother?"

Mr. McDoogle chewed a bite of food he had in his mouth. He swallowed then said

"Yes, my brother. You will meet him later tonight. I asked him to stay at the house while my wife and I went to the summit. I don't want our little Fiona in the house alone without any of her family."

He smiled fondly at his daughter.

Lucy smiled as well. The three McDoogles really did make a picturesque, perfect family. They all loved each other and cared so much for one another. Lucy was slightly jealous of their relationship.

But when her eyes slid over to Natsu and Happy, her jealousy faded away. She had a family. Fairy Tail gave her all the love and affection her father hadn't, and they were definitely more her family than he he'd been. Besides, her father had tried to make up for it later in his life, though it had been too late for both of them.

Lucy noticed that Natsu had already finished his dinner and Happy was nearly finished as well. She sighed softly before looking at Mr. and Mrs. McDoogle.

She was about to ask if the pair could receive more food, but before she could say anything, Mrs. McDoogle snapped her fingers.

"Jenkins, Mr. Dragneel and Mr. Happy require more food."

The butler appeared from virtually no where with a plate in each hand. He set them down in front of the pair before disappearing just as quickly.

Natsu and Happy dug into the food as soon as it was placed in front of them.

Lucy sighed again.

"I apologize. My teammates are gluttons."

Mrs. McDoogle waved her hand.

"It is alright, Ms. Heartfelia. We have more than enough food to feed your friends."

Lucy sat quiet for a moment. Then she smiled a little sheepishly.

"Do you suppose you could serve some lighted torches?"

 **Natsu POV**

Natsu sat in his chair, his stomach barely full. Lucy had stopped him and Happy from getting a seventh plate. During dinner, Lucy and the elder McDoogles had talked about security and the plan for the quest. Of course, Natsu had listened, only when he heard his name, but mostly he ate and entertained the youngest McDoogle.

He was a bit taken in by the little girl. She was just as cute as Asuka, though she wasn't as demanding as the other girl. He grinned as he remembered the way she had stared at him with wide eyes when he had eaten the fire right off the torch.

"You eat fire?" she had asked, her tone full of wonder rather than the usual shock he got from most people.

Presently, Fiona was starting to nod off at her spot at the dining table. Natsu knew how she felt. He was pretty sleepy himself.

He stood up.

"Is it cool if I take Fiona to her room?" he asked the chatting trio.

Mrs. McDoogle startled a little.

"Oh dear, is it that late? I didn't notice the time. It's fine, Jenkins can tuck Fiona in bed, Mr. Dragneel."

Natsu grimaced at the way she formally addressed him.

"Just call me Natsu. It feels weird having someone call me mister. And I want to put Fiona in bed myself, so I can learn how to find her room in case of an emergency."

Happy snorted.

"Natsu is planning ahead. Scary~"

Natsu bared his teeth at his best friend for a second, then he looked to Mrs. McDoogle for her answer. He wasn't usually so keen on asking for permission to do what he wanted, but Lucy would definitely be happier if he asked.

He glanced at the blonde and was pleased to see her smiling proudly at him. He knew he made the right call.

Mrs. McDoogle considered his argument, then she nodded.

"Alright. I'll have Jenkins lead you there instead. Jenkins!"

"Ma'am."

Natsu quickly looked over his shoulder. The butler stood not a foot away, his wrinkled face free of any emotion.

"Take Mr. Dra- Natsu to Fiona's room," she ordered, stumbling over Natsu's name.

Natsu gently picked up Fiona. He cradled her to his chest a little awkwardly and she wrapped her small arms around his neck.

"C'mon Happy," Natsu gestured for the blue cat to follow him.

Before he left the dining room, he took one more look at Lucy. His eyes met Lucy's for a second and he offered her a wide grin before following the butler out of the room.

As he walked, Natsu studied the way the butler was taking him. Yes, Natsu could find Fiona's room through his sense of smell, but learning the layout of the home would help in case something bad happened. It was a little strange for him to be thinking so far ahead, but it was because Lucy was rubbing off on him. Just a little bit though. He still didn't read like she did and he never was going to.

"The world is going to end," Happy whispered to Natsu, a smirk stretched across his stubby snout.

"No, it's not," Natsu snapped.

Fiona shifted in his arms, reminding him he should be quiet. Just before a voice called out behind him, Natsu smelled a new scent that indicated another person.

"Excuse me, who are you and what are you doing with my niece?"

Natsu turned around, a question already out of his mouth.

"Where did you come from?"

The man in front of his was tall and vaguely resembled Mr. McDoogle, with his dark hair and straight nose. He glared at Natsu in suspicion.

" _Who are you and what are you doing with my niece_?" he repeated with more force.

"I'm Natsu and I'm taking her to her room. Where did you come from?" Natsu asked again.

It bugged him how the man's scent appeared from nowhere.

"Mr. John," Jenkins greeted.

Judging from his tone, Jenkins didn't like this John much. Though, the butler didn't seem to like anybody.

"Jenkins, why is this man carrying my niece as if he is family?" John sniffed.

Jenkins straightened, tilting his head back just enough so that he was looking down at John.

"Mrs. McDoogle allowed Mr. Dragneel to carry Ms. Fiona to bed."

John scowled. He walked forward until he was in within arms reach of Natsu.

"I'll carry her to bed. You can go back to my sister-in-law and inform her that I have arrived."

Natsu took a step back. He did not like the way the man was talking to him. At all.

"No, I got her. Go tell her yourself."

John's scowl deepened. He took another step forward.

"Mr. John, it is customary to greet the masters of the household before parading throughout the mansion and ordering the guests to do your bidding," Jenkins said, his words the harshest Natsu had ever heard them.

John practically snarled at the butler. Then he straightened and smoothed the front of his suit jacket.

"You're right, Jenkins. As always," he growled.

"Take me to my brother and sister-in-law."

Jenkins bowed. Before he took a step, however, he turned to Natsu.

"Just keep going straight until you make it to the stairs. You know where to go from there, yes?"

Natsu nodded, his eyes zipping between the two men. They really didn't like each other. But it seemed like it was more than that. He couldn't put his finger on it though.

The pair disappeared around the corner, leaving Natsu and Happy alone with the sleeping child.

"He was mean," Happy commented casually.

Natsu nodded once again and turned to walk towards the stairs. He could already tell the quest was not going to be a piece of cake.

 **Alrighty. This took forever and a day to get done. And it's mostly meaningless progression of the story. I mean, the plot developement is a little slow, but hear me out. The fan is definitely going to be hit with poop soon. Sorry it took so long for me to put out another chapter. I wasn't really motivated. But, here you go. I'll have some more soon. See ya next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Lucy POV**

Lucy was wrapping up the last of the details of the mission with the McDoogles when Jenkins led an unfamiliar man into the dining room. The man looked similar to Mr. McDoogle, though he was more thin than the master of the house.

Lucy sensed a strangely starved air to the man, instantly taking her back to the days of her childhood. She remembered meeting men who had the same air as the one who stood in front of her. She remembered the way they had talked about how the death of her mother would bring down the revenue in her fathers company.

Jenkins bowed to the McDoogles.

"Mr. John McDoogle has arrived," he announced.

Mr. McDoogle stood up, a smile on his face, and his wife followed suit.

"Ah, brother, so nice to see you," Mr. McDoogle said as he walked around the long dining table.

Lucy awkwardly stood up from her chair and kept quiet. She couldn't exactly introduce herself without coming across as rude. Though, Lucy was sure she didn't want to talk to the man in front of her.

Still, Mrs. McDoogle turned to Lucy.

"John, this is Lucy Heartfelia, a Fairy Tail wizard Thomas and I hired to protect Fiona."

Lucy smiled politely, hiding her discomfort.

John looked her up and down. Not in a pervy way, but in an assessing way. Like he was checking what she was worth. Another thing that reminded her of her childhood.

"Ms. Heartfelia, this is my husbands brother, John McDoogle."

Mrs. McDoogle continued as if she didn't notice the tense air forming around Lucy. John nodded, still assessing Lucy. Then he turned his gaze to his brother.

"Tom, do you not trust me to protect my niece? I told you that I would bring guards over after you received that letter."

Mr. McDoogle shook his head, his expression placating.

"I'm sorry, brother. It's just Mary and I feel better having the best look after Fiona. And while your security is pretty formidable, Fairy Tail is known all through out Fiore as the cream of the crop."

John scowled. He didn't look placated in the least. In fact, he seemed more irritated after his brothers explaination. Then he breathed through his nose and seemed to dismiss his anger, instead donning a smooth smile onto his face. Lucy thought that he looked more slick than smooth.

"You are right, of course. Can't be too prepared for something like this. I apologize for getting so upset, Tom."

Mr. McDoogle smiled, pleased that his brother seemingly forgot his anger.

"You don't have to apologize, John."

A lacrama-powered grandfather clock chimed in the corner of the room, drawing the attention of all the rooms occupants to the time.

Mrs. McDoogles eyes widened slightly.

"It's already this late? My, we have been talking for far too long, darling. We must rest or we will be late to the summit tomorrow."

She turned to Lucy.

"Jenkins will lead you to your bedroom, Ms. Heartfelia. Good night."

Lucy smiled.

"Good night, Mrs. McDoogle, Mr. McDoogle. See you both in the morning."

Jenkins was suddenly standing behind John, waiting for Lucy to follow him. Lucy thought maybe he had teleportation magic, with how he kept appearing out of nowhere.

As Lucy passed John, a chill went down her spine. She had a bad feeling that the quest want going to be a lot harder than she originally thought.

 **Natsu POV**

Natsu was drifting right on the edge of sleep when he heard footsteps out in the hall. He tested the air and caught the faintest hint that it was that Jenkins guy and Lucy. He followed them with his hearing and listened as the stopped at the room right next to his and Happy's.

Natsu heard Lucy thank the butler and then the door close. Natsu didn't hear the butler leave, but his scent did fade away. The dragon-slayer sat up, blankets whispering as they shifted. He glanced at Happy. His best friend was fast asleep.

Natsu stood up quietly and made his way to the door. The dragon-slayer was driven by an urge to see Lucy. He really wanted to see her, even if it was only for a second. So, he slipped out of his room and knocked softly on her door. He wanted to knock really hard, just to annoy her, because Lucy was pretty cute when she was annoyed but he was mindful of Fiona across the hall. Happy would have teased him for being mindful of others just to tease him, but the blue cat knew that Natsu was always mindful of children.

And not that Natsu would ever admit it to anyone, but he loved kids. They were cute and delicate and precious. He would do anything to make a kid smile and to keep them happy. Not that he wanted anybody to know that. He would let a kid beat him in a competition, and he already had with Asuka. Gray would definitely make fun of him for doting on kids, calling him a softie. Just the thought of that made Natsus blood boil with annoyance.

Natsu shook himself from his thoughts as he heard Lucy approach the door.

The door opened, and Lucy poked her head through the crack.

"Ye-"

She froze when she noticed it was Natsu who had knocked on her door.

Natsu watched as her face went pink. Her face had been going pink for a while for no reason. But lately it felt like her face was permanently pink. Maybe it was because she felt sick, like she said earlier.

Natsu frowned and put his hand against Lucy's forehead like he had seen Mirajane do to Lisanna when the younger girl had been sick. Natsu wasn't exactly sure why Mirajane had done it, but he thought that it was something people just did when someone was sick.

Lucy's face went darker pink.

"Are you okay, Luce?"

Lucy made a strange squeaking noise. She quickly stepped back, away from his hand.

Natsu felt a strange lurch in his chest. He didn't like the way she avoided his touch.

"I'm fine, Natsu. Was there something that you wanted?"

She didn't meet his eyes when she spoke.

Natsu's muscles tensed unconsciously.

"I wanted to see you," he said simply, his words a little sharp with hurt.

She was avoiding him again.

When would she be don't being sick? He was getting really tired of her avoiding him.

Lucy looked up quickly, her eyes wide and her cheeks pink once again.

"Oh," she breathed.

Then she took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and stood still for a long moment.

"Lucy?" Natsu was beyond confused.

Lucy was acting so weird.

When Lucy opened her eyes, she looked him right in the eye.

"I'm sorry for avoiding you," she said, her voice stronger than it had been in a long while.

"I promise I won't do it anymore."

Natsu blinked. His whole body suddenly warmed at the thought.

Lucy would stop avoiding him. It made him ecstatic.

"Really?" He grinned.

He grabbed Lucy's shoulders and tugged her into his embrace. He shook her left and right.

Lucy squeaked again, but then she started giggling softly.

"Okay, Natsu, that's enough," she said through her laughter.

He let her go, a little reluctantly. He didn't want to push her into suddenly avoiding him. Because even if she promised, he was slightly traumatized by the memory of her skipping away from him.

Lucy stepped forward until she was barely an inch away from the dragon-slayer. Before Natsu could wonder what she was doing, Lucy gently grabbed his head and tugged it down until her lips touched his cheek.

Natsu blinked.

Lucy let go of his head and stepped back, a tiny smile on her red face.

"Good night, Natsu," she whispered before she quickly backed into her room and closed the door.

Natsu stood in the hallway for a long time before he could form thoughts.

 _What was_ _ **that?**_

 **And that is a wrap for this chapter. I'm not going to apologize for being late with chapters anymore, because what is the point. I will apologize though, if this chapter seems a little sporadic. I worked on this spur of the moment at 2:50 am. Cause I am smart. Anyway, fun fact, whenever I go to write about Asuka, I always try and call her Alluka. Some of you may know, Alluka is a cute, bubbly girl from Hunter X Hunter. Love her. So, every time I want to write about Asuka, I have to look up what her name is. I'm an idiot. Please review**


End file.
